The Discovery A candidate planet that might be remarkably similar to Earth, HD 137010 b, has one potentially big difference: It could be colder than perpetually frozen Mars. See A […]
Kepler
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Architectures of Exoplanetary Systems. IV: A Multi-planet Model for Reproducing the Radius Valley and Intra-system Size Similarity of Planets around Kepler’s FGK Dwarfs
The Kepler-observed distribution of planet sizes have revealed two distinct patterns: (1) a radius valley separating super-Earths and sub-Neptunes and (2) a preference for intra-system size similarity.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Modeling the Impact of Unresolved Stellar Companions on Detection Sensitivity in Kepler’s Small Planet Occurrence Rates
Unresolved stellar companions can cause both under-estimations in the radii of transiting planets and over-estimations of their detectability, affecting our ability to reliably measure planet occurrence rates.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release, Space Weather & Heliophysics
A Comprehensive Study Of The Relations Between The Properties Of Planetary Systems And The Chemical Compositions Of Their Host Stars
The giant planet-metallicity correlation revealed that planetary formation depends on the stellar properties. There is growing evidence that it is also valid for smaller hot planets, but it is not […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Stellar Cartography, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Why Estimating η⊕ Is Difficult: A Kepler-Centric Perspective
η⊕, the occurrence rate of rocky habitable zone exoplanets orbiting Sun-like stars, is of great interest to both the astronomical community and the general public. The Kepler space telescope has […]
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Machine Learning For Exoplanet Discovery: Validating TESS Candidates and Identifying Planets in the Habitable Zone
The high-precision photometry from NASA’s Kepler and TESS missions has revolutionized exoplanet detection, enabling the discovery of over 5500 confirmed exoplanets via the transit method and around 10000 additional candidates […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A First Order Filter For The Detection of Potentially Habitable Exoplanets
The search for potentially habitable exoplanets is a primary objective in modern astrophysics, yet the vast number of candidates discovered by missions like Kepler and TESS presents a significant challenge […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Citizen Science / Open Science, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
ExoClock Project IV: A Homogeneous Catalogue Of 620 Updated Exoplanet Ephemerides
The ExoClock project is an open platform aiming to monitor exoplanets by integrating observations from space and ground based telescopes.
![(a) Normalized age distributions p(τ | [Fe/H]) for single stars, binned in [Fe/H] and smoothed using Gaussian filtering. Each vertical slice is normalized by its peak value. The blue line marks the peak age in each bin. Colored points show planet-hosting stars, classified by guiding-center radius Rg: inner (Rg < 7.2 kpc), local (7.2 ≤ Rg ≤ 9.2 kpc), and outer (Rg > 9.2 kpc). (b) Same as (a), but for [α/Fe] instead of [Fe/H]. -- astro-ph.SR](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Insights-into-Planet-Formation-from.png?resize=1200%2C714&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Stellar Cartography
Insights Into Planet Formation From The Ages, Masses, and Elemental Abundances of Host Stars
How planetary systems form and evolve is a key question in astronomy. Revealing how host star properties, such as elemental abundances, age, and mass, differ from those of non-host stars, […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report
Exoplanets Beyond The Conservative Habitable Zone: II. Occurrence
We demonstrate that the extension of the Habitable Zone (HZ) due to the presence of liquid water on the night side of tidally locked planets, modelled in this and earlier […]